Before I began, I had a lot a questions like “What is clean eating?” and “What foods are clean?” Well to be honest, even after doing loads of reading since my first post on the subject, I am still not entirely sure, so I have decided that I am going to slowly, but smartly, build my way up to much healthier eating. My first stop has been to cut out fried foods, microwaveable meals and simple carbohydrates (whole-wheat spaghetti = yum!).

So how has this been working out for me? I believe that a writer, like any artist, needs to be fully dedicated to her art – even if that requires perseverance in the face of pain, terror and piping hot broccoli soup. Yes, you read that right.  Broccoli soup.

Always a planner, yours truly scheduled herself to have two of her wisdom teeth taken out earlier in the week – which most of you know is no picnic. Yet, a week of yogurt, soup and healthy frozen yogurt didn’t sound so hard.  In fact it sounded quite refreshing – and easy.

Monday (surgery day) and Tuesday went by largely without a hitch – there isn’t much in the way of fried foods that can be slurped down and we had stocked up on yummy “drinkable,” healthy foods over the weekend.  However, on Wednesday, things took a turn for the worst  — I decided to have broccoli soup.

What do I have against broccoli soup? Well, I never got to taste it…not before I accidentally dropped it all over my lap!  The soup was so hot that I had to go to the ER to get checked out! Upon diagnosing my second-degree burns and observing my swollen right cheek, the ER doctor elegantly pronounced, “You’ve had a rough week.” Yes, doctor, yes I have.

Hopefully next week will be a little less exciting and I will be able to spend more time coming up with yummy meals and recipes to do while on this challenge.  (Right now I am sticking to Gazpacho…)

No, I’m not talking about a new diet from the Kardashian Klan (God, can you even imagine what that would entail?). This DASH Diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, was named the number one diet for the second year in a row by U.S. News. Though it was designed for individuals suffering from hypertension — not those specifically looking to lose weight — the diet is one of the most nutritious and most-well rounded out there.

If you’re looking to kick off 2012 by revamping your healthy eating habits, check and see if the DASH Diet works for your lifestyle.

Once the New Year has been rung in, it’s time to face the facts. The holiday season is over, and there is no excuse to keep gorging on Christmas cookies. You have a few more months to hide in your fat pants, but before you know it bikini season will be here, so don’t get left behind!

I know it’s a rough transition from eating like Santa to hitting the gym, so use these tips to take it slow.

First off, don’t make your New Year’s Resolution “lose 20 lbs.” This is typically a trap. You will go to the gym for maybe half of January, meanwhile still enjoying those holiday leftovers, and quit when you don’t see the results. Set realistic goals like, “I want to be able to button my jeans a little easier,” or simply promising yourself to hit the gym more regularly.

The easiest way you can get back into the routine is by not actually having a routine. Get your friends together and do something active! Go sledding or organize a ski trip. Take your gift cards to the mall and do some speed-walking laps while you shop. Go to a dance party. Take your poor dog (who is probably just as bloated from hiding under the table and stealing food) for a nice long walk. Basically just get off your lazy butt and move!

If you don’t have a gym membership at home, head over to YouTube for free work out videos. I’m personally a huge fan of Zumba! Magazines like Seventeen, Self and Cosmo always have a workout in every issue, so if you have stacks of them lying around like I do, it’s worth a shot.

Portion your holiday treats. It’s okay to have one gingerbread cookie, just not the whole batch. Watch what you get at Starbucks because behind the festive red cups are hundreds of evil empty calories. Also, beware of those other red cups. You know, the ones filled with jungle juice or Natty Ice. These disgusting college drinks are fattening — they call it a beer gut for a reason. Take it easy on the alcohol, and if you must drink realize the beer and the mixed drinks have the most calories.

Most importantly, try to ease yourself back into your normal, pre-holiday eating/exercise routine. Once you are back at school without Mom’s holiday treats things will be much easier. Try not to stress out too much about it, because if there’s one time of year to eat your weight in candy canes it’s right now!

Maura is a freshman at Rider University who enjoys fashion, writing, corny wedding TV shows and playing with her overweight (but adorable) Pomeranian. Catch her on twitter @maurahilgar.

Over the past few decades, obesity – especially childhood obesity – has come to be regarded as one of the biggest health problems facing America. Obesity negatively affects every organ system in the body, and can lead to major health issues. It’s also one reason why life expectancy in America is thought to lag so far behind that of other developed countries. Ending this epidemic has recently become First Lady Michelle Obama’s pet project, with her initiative Let’s Move!

The Let’s Move! program focuses on teaching families how to raise their children in a healthy way, and encourages parents to set good examples for their kids. It also seeks to make nutritious food available in schools, and turn the battle against obesity into a community and family effort.

But some medical professionals believe that severe childhood obesity is a sign of criminal neglect, and that seriously obese children should be removed from their homes and placed in foster care. And that is exactly what happened recently, when an eight-year-old boy was removed from his home in Ohio. The third grader weighs over 200 pounds. A healthy boy his age usually weighs less than 64 pounds. It’s clear that the boy has a weight problem, but was it the right decision for the state to intervene by taking him away from his parents?

Doctors and government officials had been monitoring the boy’s weight for a year. They say that his parents were not doing enough to help him lose weight, and that he had to be taken into custody.

Earlier this year, obesity expert Dr. David Ludwig created a stir with an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. He argued that state intervention should be considered when children are suffering from morbid obesity. Some medical professionals agreed, but Dr. Ludwig’s article also received harsh criticism. And many of the counterarguments used against Dr. Ludwig are coming back into play in the Ohio case.

First of all, foster care may not be effective. Almost a decade ago, there was another highly publicized case in which a three-year-old girl was taken from her parents because she was seriously obese. But she didn’t improve in foster care, and was later diagnosed with a genetic condition that predisposed her to obesity.

Some doctors say that the stress of taking the child away from his family could be dangerously traumatic. They argue that with the proper support from the state, the boy’s family could help him improve in a comfortable environment. Even Dr. Ludwig insisted that children should only be kept in foster care for short periods of time, and that the state needs to work closely with families.

So is it a parent’s fault if a child becomes morbidly obese? And does obesity qualify as abuse serious enough to remove a child from their home? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

[Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. Last month, Khalea gave up fried food. This month, Michelle is going to come face to face with stress eating. Can she stop the emotional ice cream binges? We'll find out....]

Stress eating – who doesn’t do it? Comfort foods have come to define college life. Macaroni and cheese, ramen noodles, peanut butter anything… And honestly, how can you not like comfort food? I mean, it’s called ‘comfort’ food for a reason. When you’re stuck at home studying for a test and it’s 2am, mashed potatoes and gravy with a side of ice cream tastes delicious. Stress eating can take its toll though – digestive problems, weight gain, lowered self-esteem… It’s not good for anybody.

For the month of June, I’m going to try to stop stress eating. You know what that means? No chocolate chip cookie at 2pm when I’m feeling drained (but not hungry). No candy snack at the check-out in the grocery store. No crunchy potato chips when I’m browsing Craiglist at night and wondering what I’m going to do with my life. No eating when I feel an unpleasant emotion… I guess I’ll just have to, you know, feel it.

This week, we’ll look at what stress eating actually is and what steps I’m going to take to curb my stress eating.  Anyone who wants to can take this challenge with me, but you are free to choose your own methods and goals. I will be completely honest for the next month: when I’ve succeeded, when I’ve failed, and most of all, what I’ve felt along the way.

What is Stress Eating?
Stress eating is sometimes called emotional eating. Stress or emotional eating is the way that some people deal with “heavy” emotions – especially stress and anxiety, depression, grief, etc. Stress eaters typically crave rich foods – carbohydrates, sweets, “comfort foods.” Craving these kinds of foods, for some people, is a way to stop the cycle of unrelenting emotions. However, rarely does this kind of eating actually work to stop feelings. In fact, it can sometimes make them worse.

What Stresses YOU Out?
What exactly do college students have to be stressed about?

I started stress eating in high school… which, looking back at it, I don’t know what I was so stressed about. College, on the other hand, is where my anxiety levels really went through the roof. Between schoolwork, friend drama, and dealing with sometimes frustrating bureaucratic issues, it sometimes feels like college is just a series of stressful situations that we’re supposed to know how to navigate. Is college supposed to be some kind of emotional obstacle course? Because, if so, it is doing a great job.

The combination of stress, low funds, and late hours means that college students like us tend to be major stress eaters. That feeling you get when you’re writing a paper and you just need, absolutely need, a milkshake … but you’re not really hungry… that’s stress eating.

Methods & Goals
What am I going to do to stop stress eating this month? Here are a few little things I’ll be adding to my day-to-day life to avoid the vicious cycle of stress-binge-stress.

1. Yoga every morning. I know I’m jumping on a very crowded bandwagon by mentioning yoga, but last summer, I had extremely bad anxiety and practicing yoga for just twenty minutes a day really helped.

2. Keep a food and emotion diary. By identifying when I feel really hungry versus when I just feel an emotion will help me to know what triggers my stress eating.

3. Take on projects to avoid boredom. You know what I do when I’m bored? Compulsively Google things I’m worried about, like the mole on my shoulder. Instead, I’m going to scrapbook, write, or go for a walk.

4. Sleep. A huge part of stress is not getting enough sleep. Going to bed at 3:30am and waking up at 7:00am puts a huge physical stress on your body, which in turn really stresses you out mentally and emotionally.

My goal at the end of this month is to determine what triggers my stress eating patterns and to effectively stop stress eating.

Do you want to join me?
Want to join me in my effort to stop stress eating? Figure out what you need to do to stop the cycle and together, we’ll stop raiding the pantry and start, you know, feeling.

Need help getting started? Check out Dietician Melanie Jatsek’s tips for avoiding eating your emotions!

GET IN MY BELLY.

[Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. This month, Khalea is giving up....wait for it....FRIED FOOD. She tripped up a bit in the beginning, then she embraced the faux fry, and now? Let's find out!]

Well, this is it. My last week of a whole month without deep-fried goodies.

It’s been beneficial, but it’s also been pure hell.

Coming from a place where battered items are nearly a food group, I basically had to change the way that I shopped and ate completely. Sure, finding new recipes was fun but it was also super expensive! $6.99 for a block of mozzarella cheese? I could’ve paid half of that for an order of cheese sticks at White Castle!

Maintaining a balanced diet messed with my pockets. It was difficult finding foods that were healthy and cheap in Manhattan where I began working. The battle between a $2.99 cheeseburger and a $6.99 wrap was a hard one to overcome.

Without French fries and chicken nuggets, foods that I usually turned to for my broke college student budget lunch, I came home and went to bed with my stomach rumbling. Yeah, I know I said I’d try a side salad instead, but that’s just not me. I’ve never been the small salad, no meat kinda gal anyway.

But as I said, I reaped many benefits as well. Even though I’m scared of scales, I feel lighter. My friends and family notice it as well. I’m counting my calories with a Blackberry app, something I definitely wouldn’t have done before. I enjoy a wider variety of fruit and veggies—I think I’ve had more apples this month than I had in an entire year.

So yes, I was satisfied most of the time, but I still counted the days until I could go back to my old and favorite habits. I’m excited to eat fried foods again, but I know that I’ll consume them in moderation now. I don’t want my hard work to go down the drain with one 10-piece meal.

[Get excited for June's challenge when Michelle tackles stress eating! And check out/be inspired by the other One Month Challenges we've taken on. ]

I don't need no stinkin' fried food!

[Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. This month, Khalea is giving up....wait for it....FRIED FOOD. She tripped up a bit last week, but it looks like the fried tide may be turning.]

For the first time in weeks, I don’t have any dreams about mozzarella sticks.

I don’t wake up longing for the crunchy taste of hash browns in my mouth. I don’t even want a chicken wing….that much.

Even though I miss them, I’m really getting used to life without fried foods in my diet. I feel like I’m cutting so many calories from my daily intake and it feels amazing!

You guys know that the beginning was a struggle. But the comments from the readers in my last post really helped me get through this week. I’ve been having so much fun finding ways around my restrictions. At first I was afraid that everything would taste really bland without my favorites, but I was totally wrong.

Like one of the commenters suggested, I tried faux-frying. I made some zucchini with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Mmm, mmm, mmm—it tasted just like the recipe I use with oil! And the 60 calories per serving made it even more delicious. Tomorrow I’m going to try faux-frying some shrimp with breadcrumbs as well; I was going to try Shake N’ Bake, but it’s so high in sodium. By the way, that’s another good thing about this challenge—I’ve been totally label conscious during this month. I’ve also been enjoying Alexia Sweet Potato Julienne Fries with my meals; these oven potatoes run a close race with the oil-drenched waffle fries I was obsessed with last month.

There are so many yummy and healthy options in the world! I’m kicking myself for not knowing this before. The only bad thing about saving my calories is splurging on other foods that aren’t so healthy—hello Bleeker Street Pizza.  But hey, I’m still a work in progress, right?

[Check out and be inspired by the other One Month Challenges we've taken on. ]

I’ll admit it. I cheated.

On Wednesday, I had 13 fries and two chicken nuggets from McDonald’s.

I feel like Kanye the morning after he dissed Taylor Swift at the Grammys.

Until then, I was doing really well. No fried foods at all. I lost the urge to dig into a drummette and enjoyed an apple or a granola bar instead—out of sight, out of mind. After I nixed fried foods, I made better choices in my diet like I thought I would.

Until Monday’s office party when I had a spoonful of shrimp fried rice.

I know, I know. Cheating twice in seven days doesn’t scream commitment. When the fried food is right in front of my face, staring me down, it’s like I can’t say no.  I’m ashamed of myself—I thought I was stronger. But other than those two weak moments, I really think I can do this. My family, friends and Facebook acquaintances were all rooting for me when I wrote about my first week.

“You can do it!”
“If you get through this month, I’ll try it myself!”

It feels really good to have the support of my loved ones. Even my mom told me she won’t fry any chicken while I’m home for the week. Everyone thinks that I can do it…now it’s up to me to believe in myself.

After walking my dog around the neighborhood twice (as punishment), I’m going to try some new, low-fat recipes. Another plus from this challenge is trying new dishes that I normally wouldn’t if I were chomping on onion rings. I already had some Greek food for lunch last week (where has Spanakopita been all my life?) and my friends and I are going out for Indian this weekend. If my mouth is preoccupied with new flavors then I won’t miss the old ones.

But until then I’ll be looking for more recipes, erasing all memories of my deep fried past and trying to move past those two mistakes. Next week will be a clean (and healthier) start, I promise. After all, I still have Strappy to fit into!

Got any ideas? Recipes? Inspiring quotes to push Khalea along? Share below!

[Check out the other One Month Challenges we've taken on. ]

[Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month

I’ve lived in the South for a good portion of my life, which means that everything is deep fried – vegetables, candy, cookies and my absolute favorite – chicken. If it doesn’t have a crispy, golden brown finish then I usually stay away from it. From the bacon and hash browns I have in the morning to the French fries I eat with my dinner, I can honestly say that I don’t have the healthiest diet at all. And when my physician told me that I’m at risk for diabetes, it was obvious that something had to change. African Americans are the leading race plagued with diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol. The lack of exercise and greasy, indulgent soul food has to be a factor. I don’t want to be a statistic – I have too many dreams for my future…and too many clothes to buy.

So I decided it was time to make a change. A big one. A one-month one.
For the entire month of May, I’m giving up fried foods. I won’t be eating any of it. At all. Not one fried thing.

I think that cutting fried foods out of my diet will begin a slew of healthy habits. I already workout (Flirty Girl Fitness works wonders), but I still indulge in the occasional Chick-fil-A sandwich or a Bloomin’ Onion. Talk about counter productivity! I’m hoping that cutting out fatty fried foods will cut major calories from my diet and leave me with more energy to exercise. It’s quite a healthy change, and just the change I need  for myself, my family and Strappy, the Dolce and Gabbana number I want to fit into one day. Why not start now?

In true Southern fashion, I ended my fried food frenzy with a big bang: all-you-can-eat wings at Hooters. As I stared at the mounting pile of bones and wet wipes, I felt greasy and bloated—it was not pleasant at all. I always feel that way after a huge, breaded feast. “What are you gonna do without these?” my friend asked, waving a lemon-pepper wing in front of my face. I didn’t know. Anything would be better than my food daze, though.

Feeling rather disgusting, I thought the transition would be smooth. While I was grocery shopping, I thought about all the changes I could make. Instead of my two strips of pork bacon, I would eat turkey sausage. I’d trade my fries for a side salad. I was excited for this change and all the fun new things I could eat.

But the fantasy is always quite different from reality, right? Not long after my fairy tale grocery expedition, things got difficult. I had a relatively healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner on Sunday, but then Monday morning happened. While walking to school, I could smell everything I was giving up – the chicken biscuits, the waffle fries, the fried rice from Panda Express.

Thankfully, my determination dominated my temptations and I’m still hanging in there. While my friends gorge on their number six combos from McDonald’s, I eat at home to avoid indulging on my delicious enemy. And I even forgo walking by my favorite fast food joints to play it safe—anything to avoid backsliding. But with the support from family and the “after” dress that I purchased to celebrate the month, I can’t go wrong!

At least I hope.

[Check out the other One Month Challenges we've taken on. ]

Ever have one of those days where you were supposed to make an appearance at the gym but got caught up in a marathon study session and platefuls of tater tots instead? Yeah, me too. It’s called Saturday. But don’t beat yourself up about those less active days; compensate for them!

There are a lot of simple changes you can make in your life that will not only undo those lazy days, but really make a difference in your overall health and fitness. If you can do at least one per day, I guarantee that you’ll be making a positive change in your lifestyle. You ready for the easiest health advice of your life?

1. Take the stairs
Studies have shown that taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator will burn 2 times more calories. That makes sense, since taking the latter means just standing there and awkwardly not talking to the other people just standing there. Even if it’s just a few stories up to your next class, make the effort to walk there. If you don’t want to make the 6-story trek to your biology class, then start by taking the stairs down.  Any little effort makes a huge difference.

2. Replace your sweet chocolate craving with your favorite fruit
What’s stopping you from eating fruits? Most likely, the fact that you don’t have any around. Always keep a nice stash of healthy food in your fridge, just in case a snack attack pops in. It’s much healthier and you’ll feel a lot less guilty after you chow down. Now, I’m not telling you that an apple is going to satisfy you when all you want is a brownie, but I am saying that getting some fruit while you’re also getting some sweets will do your body good. For example, craving some major chocolate? Try fresh strawberries with a small drizzle of Nutella. You’ll fulfill that chocolate craving and secretly geta nice dose of Vitamin C!

3. Try holding your utensils with your non-dominant hand
As a right-handed person, holding a fork in my left hand forces me to eat slower because I’m not used to it. Since our bodies take about 20 minutes to digest food and realize its full, eating slower prevents us from overeating and indulging in extra calories. It may feel odd at first, but give it a go – it works!

4. Standing instead of sitting
If you’re one to take public transportation, you may feel like you just found the Golden Ticket when a seat finally opens up on the bus. Try changing your mindset and stand up instead. You can burn up to 10-15 more calories per hour because you’re constantly engaging your core muscles to stabilize yourself. Want extra points? Don’t grab onto anything and ride the bus waves!

5. Doing calf raises while waiting in line
Instead of standing idly while waiting for the front desk lady to hand you your transcript or the mail room guy to find that package of cookies your mom sent you for finals, try some nice and easy calf raises. These don’t attract as much attention and strange looks as lunges (trust me), but it’s still a great way to keep moving, burn calories, and tone your legs.